Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Acting Chairman very much. I am grateful for the half.

I will start by aligning the issue of the CAP negotiations to the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021, which we will vote upon tonight. I want to align the two because I believe they are absolutely and utterly complementary. I want to get a sense of the Minister's perspective on what climate action measures or types of schemes he envisages will be put in place arising from a new CAP. What kind of funding mechanisms will be put in place for climate action?

Before my second question, let me first make a political point in that we completely disagree with the guillotining of this Bill this evening. There are hundreds of amendments, which we feel strongly should have been addressed. More time should have been given, for instance, to the issue of the elephant in the room, that is, the biogenic methane issue. Assurances are being sought by the farm organisations about how that will be dealt in respect of carbon budgets.

Is the Minister assured that the climate Bill, as it constituted at present, gives sufficient coverage to farmers such that any measures they put in place regarding climate adaptation or mitigation are adequately dealt with in this Bill? I suggest to the Minister that it is not adequately proofed so that one can take into account the measures farmers themselves undertake with regard to offsetting the effects of biogenic methane. That is something on which we need clarity. I will come back in if I have time.

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